How many trend followers here?

Discussion in 'Trading' started by billpritjr, Feb 16, 2004.

  1. Excellent point Murray :D
     
    #11     Feb 16, 2004
  2. We used to have a lot of "top-pickers" here on ET, but many of them have been "extinguished" by this powerful Bull!

    :p
     
    #12     Feb 16, 2004
  3. Clearly, the shorter time frame offers more potential for profit but this also requires significantly more work. To me this is a question of life stile. I have no interest in becoming a day trader because I have no interest in working that hard. In the long run, trading == freedom from the drudgery of employment. I see no reason to exchange lazy liberty for a higher return.

    I think swing trading provides a reasonable ratio of return for effort.

    Regards,
    Griz
     
    #13     Feb 16, 2004
  4. AC3

    AC3

    I trend trade FX multi day system .... when I have a position that moves into the money and ends up being a winner I hold that position on avg 30+ days. I use 2 b a intraday S&P NazCrack trader running a system doing apprx 4 trades btwn the two each day.......Although profitable it was hard work from month-to-month 2 make $...Now doing multi day trades I make more on 1 position over the course of a month then I wud doing deals every day all month long ..... glad to kiss those days gud bi
     
    #14     Feb 16, 2004
  5. newtoet

    newtoet

    Clearly? How? I think quite the opposite. Longer timeframes offer more profit potential, but also carry more risk.

    Don't get me wrong, I know plenty of "day traders" who have made A LOT of money. But, all things being equal, your above statement is incorrect.
     
    #15     Feb 16, 2004
  6. AC3

    AC3

    Have a gud friend who does V Well DayTrading and knowing him I can safely say that it takes a particaular personality to succeed in that business and it is not something u can read in a book or watch and imatate....simple as that... having said that I dont think there are 1-100 or 1-1000 who can do it for profit day in day out. Longer time frames smooth trends it maybe for the rest of us who do this for a living.
     
    #16     Feb 16, 2004
  7. Waggie,

    good point. We also had a lot of "bottom-pickers" too in 2002. Who was that guy again?
     
    #17     Feb 16, 2004
  8. True dat et.
     
    #18     Feb 16, 2004
  9. Newtoet, you err.

    Please consider that even a very slow trading strategy like that provided by classic Dow theory will significantly outperform buy and hold. Price movements that are noise in longer time frames are opportunities in shorter time frames. The practical limitations on this general principle are the costs involved in trading in comparison to the size of the price movements and the impact the activity has on the market traded.

    Also, I am not much inclined to agree with your statement that risk is directly related to time frame. I have not given this much consideration because I mostly think of risk control in terms of position size and money management. If we consider a time frame of centuries, the risk involved in a diversified investment is reduced to weather or not a society will advance or decline. Please provide the reasoning for your assertion concerning risk and time frame.


    Regards,
    Griz
     
    #19     Feb 16, 2004
  10. Just as many permabulls have been killed by the bear of 2000-2002... picking bottoms can be as dangerous as picking tops...
     
    #20     Feb 16, 2004